Vacuum cleaners typically employ an agitator assembly that is configured to release dust, hair and other debris, collectively referred to herein as debris, from a surface to be cleaned. The debris is transported via a working airflow to a downstream separator that separates the debris from the working airflow and deposits the debris in a downstream dirt collector.
A vacuum cleaner agitator assembly typically comprises an agitator dowel that is rotatably mounted within a housing and configured to rotate about bearing assemblies at each end thereof. An agitator assembly can be driven by a belt operably connecting a shaft on a motor to a drive pulley on the agitator dowel. Optionally, the agitator assembly can include clutch mechanism for selectively engaging or disengaging the agitator drive. One type of clutch mechanism is a belt shifter that can selectively shift the belt onto an idler pulley on the agitator dowel to selectively stop rotation of the agitator assembly, while continuing rotation of the motor shaft.